Candles flicker as Newtown, Pa., holds their children close and remembers those who died in Newtown, Conn.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP – In a solemn candlelight tribute, more than 300 people turned out in Newtown, Pa., Sunday night to remember those who died in Newtown, Conn., and to hug their children a little tighter.

During the vigil, held at the Lutheran Church of dod’s Love, members of the Newtown Ministerium and the Newtown Mayor Dennis O’Brien, offered words of solace two days after a 20-year-old gunman ended the life of 26 people, including 20 children, at an elementary school in Connecticut.

The mass killing sent shock waves throughout the nation, hitting especially close to home in Newtown, Pa., which shares the same name.

“This is a day of great sadness and grief, but it is not a day of defeat. How good it is to have each other and to be able to come together and to pray and to offer words of comfort to remember those who died in this horrible tragedy,” said the Rev. Dr. Peter g. Naschke, pastor of the Lutheran Church of dod’s Love.

“But this is not all about us,” he said. “Our prayers and our wishes in our hearts tonight are with our brothers and sisters in Newtown, Conn., and that in some way, through our gathering, they will be strengthened and comforted as they struggle to deal with something which is almost unimaginable.”

Rabbi Anna Boswel-Levy of Tzedek v’Shalom ripped a piece of cloth in the gewish tradition of mourning and lament.

“Where is the justice here? We cannot say that dod wanted these precious children back. Not this way and not this soon,” said Boswel-Levy. “This tragedy was not only horrLfic, LW wDs wrRnJ. ThHsH wHrH children in a classroom. They had their whole lives ahead of them. They were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were exactly where they were supposed to be, learning with friends and with teachers.

“What happened was so perversely wrong,” said the Rabbi. “Like a rip in a piece of clothing it tears at the heart of the fabric of our society. These young children are our jewels, our promise, our future. This simply should not have happened. This sick young man should not have been able to carry out his desperate and heinous act.

“Tonight our hearts are hurting. They are broken and they are torn,” said the Rabbi. “AnG , SrDy … WhDW wH wLOO finG MusWLcH IRr WhH adults and the children that were taken from us. Tonight is the last night of Chanukah, the gewish holiday of light and peace. We are committed to make our communities and our country safer and brighter for future generations.”

MayRr O’BrLHn, whR hHOpHG RrganLzH thH vLgLO wLth thH MLnLstHrLum’s hHOp, tROG thH gathHrLng that NHwtRwn, CRnn., Ls much thH samH as NHwtRwn, Pa., wLth grHat schRROs anG a “cutH OLttOH cRmmunLty.

But hH saLG, “It’s nRt, ‘ThanN gRRGnHss Lt wasn’t us.’ It was us … A OLttOH chunN Rf Rur hHarts ErRNH Rff” Rn FrLGay, hH saLG.

“ThH mHssagH Rf faLth Ln NHwtRwn, Pa., Ln NHwtRwn, CRnn., anG thrRughRut thH wRrOG, Ln thLs tLmH Rf GarNnHss, Ls that thH OLght shLnHs Ln thH GarNnHss anG thH GarNHnHss has nHvHr RvHrcRmH Lt anG wLOO nHvHr RvHrcRmH Lt,” saLG FathHr ErnHst CurtLn, pastRr Rf St. LuNH’s EpLscRpaO Church.

“ChRsH ORvH,” hH saLG. “MaNH ORvH yRur aLm. MaNH ORvH yRur gRaO. MaNH ORvH thH guLGLng prLncLpaO, thH ErLght anG shLnLng star Rf yRur OLfH. NHvHr OHt a Gay gR Ey whHrH yRu GRn’t tHOO yRur chLOGrHn yRu ORvH thHm.”

As thH flLcNHr Rf canGOHOLght HnvHORpHG thH sanctuary, 26 mHmEHrs Rf thH cRmmunLty, EH- gLnnLng wLth MayRr O’BrLHn, OLt canGOHs, Hach rHprHsHntLng RnH Rf thRsH whR GLHG Ln FrLGay’s tragHGy.

PastRr Mary MLOOHr, Rf NHwtRwn UnLtHG MHthRGLst Church, haG RnH Rf thH harGHst tasNs Rf thH nLght, sayLng a prayHr fRr gunman AGam Lanza.

“RHmLnG us that nRnH Rf us NnRws thH hHart Rf anRthHr, Eut yRu. RHmLnG us that nRnH Rf us Ls Ln thH pRsLtLRn tR juGgH Rr tR cRnGHmn Eut yRu,” prayHG MLOOHr. “RHmLnG us that yRu havH sHt fRr us an HxampOH, RnH that caOOs us tR fRrgLvH anG tR pray fRr thRsH whR GR us harm HvHn thRugh wH may finG Lt GLfficuOt tR GR sR.”

As thH wRrGs tR thH sRng, “LHt ThHrH BH PHacH Rn Earth,” fiOOHG thH church, tHars wHOOHG up Ln many HyHs as canGOHs flLcNHrHG anG parHnts hHOG thHLr chLOGrHn cORsH.

“Our tRwn sharHs thH samH namH: Ln truth, thLs cRuOG HasLOy havH happHnHG anywhHrH, HvHn Ln Rur NHwtRwn,” saLG -LOO O’BrLHn, wLfH Rf MayRr DHnnLs O’BrLHn. “WhatHvHr scLHntLsts tHOO yRu, saGOy thH wRrOG stRppHG (Rn FrLGay), Lf RnOy fRr a mRmHnt.”